Hat indicator



H. ROLNICK HAT INDICATOR June 1, 1943.

Filed June 5, 1941 I .Fa/zzzb Patented June 1, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAT INDICATOR Harry Rolnick, Dallas, Tex.

Application June 5, 1941, Serial No. 396,756

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in hat indicators. Particularly the improvements indicate to merchants and to their customers the quantity of given hats stocked in bat boxes.

For many years merchants selling hats have stored several hats of various sizes in a single box. It has been general custom for the merchant to write on the box the sizes of the hats stored in the box. Usually a label has been placed on the box bearing a scale of different sizes. Then the pencilled numbers were placed under the respective scale notations to show how many hats of given sizes were in the box. When a merchant takes a hat out of the box he crosses out the pencilled number or else erases it and places a new mark under the scale. It the merchant switches the sizes of hats in the box, he must be careful to rewrite proper notations on the box. The necessary erasures and the necessary changes in marking are usually made hastily and oftentimes incorrectly, if indeed they are made at all.

Further than this the seller of hats usually places a size ticket in the outside band of a hat when he puts the hat in a showcase. Thus he knows readily what size of hat he is removing from the showcase to display to a customer and the customer knows in glancing over a display of hats what hats of his particular size are available. But these size cards oftentimes remain in the band of the hat. Consequently the dealer needs frequently to purchase new size tickets. This becomes an important item to dealers or even more important to such hat distributors as must supply considerable numbers of hat size cards.

This invention is concerned with supplying requisite information to merchants concerning their stock of hats by means that are readily applied and means that are sufficiently flexible to follow quickly the many changes in stock in a busy store. Moreover, a purpose with which this invention is concerned is to apply hat cards with such readiness to a given hat box that the merchant will not tend to overlook his record when hats are changed in a box, but will make the effort to keep his information up to the minute.

Further a purpose involved is to provide means for indicating the nature and the number of hats in a box without the cumbersome erasures and rewriting that heretofore have been customary in this field.

The accompanying drawing exhibits a preferred structure in which this invention is embodied, while an explanation of the invention is presented herewith and the novel inventive features are pointed out in the accompanying claim.

In the drawing in which like parts are designated by like numerals:

Figure 1 shows in elevation a general view of a hat box that comprises the present invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-section through a portion of a wall of the hat box showing the preferred embodiment of this invention with a cross-sectional line being indicated as 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 indicates a lower corner and adjacent bottom and side of a hat box with a vertical section through a portion of the indicator means of this invention; and

Figure 4 shows a general view of an indicating element of this invention.

Many objects of this invention are accomplished and various benefits are obtained in the embodiment of this invention that is at present preferred and is exhibited in the drawing. According to this invention the hat box is provided with a slot in its exterior wall to receive a slit indicating ticket.

The invention will be more clearly apparent in the following illustrative description of its preferred embodiment shown in the drawing. The invention may be practiced otherwise however than in this specific form.

In the drawing is shown a hat box I in the outer walls of which is disposed a slot 2 of suitable extent. Preferably this is effected by applying a strip 3 to the box wall in such fashion that the slot is formed by the upper edge of the strip. In the drawing, particularly in Figure 2, the strip 3 is shown secured at its ends by adhesive so placed as to leave the upper central portion of the strip edge free from the box wall. It is desirable too for strip 3 to be left free from adhesive contact with the wall of the box along the lower edge of the strip; and in fact throughout the entire middle portion of the strip.

Associated with this strip and the box are individual indicator elements 4. Such an element is illustrated in Figure 4. In general it is rectangular in arrangement. The element 4 is slit along some middle portion by a pair of longitudinal lines 5 connected with each other at the bottom. Thus a tongue 6 is formed in the body of indicating ticket 4. Material to compose ticket 4 is sufiiciently strong for central tongue 6 to be pressed out from the body of the ticket sufficiently to slip down in front of the pocket-forming edge of strip 3. The base portion of tickt 4 slips in back of strip 3. Thus the ticket is held in place. The relative extent of strip 3 and of tickets 4 held thereby is such that the number of tickets may correspond to the number of hats that the box can hold. This, of course, will vary in various individual cases. The tickets may bear suitable indicia such, for example, as the number of a hat; for instance, the number 7 to indicate a hat of size '7. Such indicia are shown on the tongue of the ticket. This arrangement may form a permanent display, but with individual numbers separated from each other by intervening spaces of the strip 3. This separation is brought about by the strips of ticket brought into intervening relationship between the tongues of adjacent tickets. This separation of numbers on adjacent tickets is an important advantage of this invention for it is a separation that is brought about automatically when two tickets are inserted in the strip 3, however closely the tick-- ets may be together. The separation of the tongues. is important to facilitate viewing the numbers from a distance with the aid of.'the.

contrasting wall that intervenes between adjacent tongues.

However carelessly tickets may be inserted, an advantage of the combination. shown. is that the body portion of the ticket. readily follows down back of the strip 3 andthus' positively assures retention of the. ticket. Moreover, the. ticketiis held.

firmly in place by cooperating. action between the body of the ticket that. is. in back of the strip 3 and the tongue 6' that is in front. of the strip 3. Together they exert an adequate pinching action to hold the ticket in place. Thiscooperating effect is brought out in Figure 3. where the front and back bifurcations of ticket tareillustrated in contact with strip 3.

An outstanding advantage ot thisv invention is its. simplicity. The field in which it is applied is one where margins of expense must. be kept to a minimum. Moreover, it is a field where carelessness frequently characterizes the clerks upon whom reliance necessarily must be placed to assure the success of any inventory system of this sort.

Under this invention the strip 3 itself may be supplied to the merchant or may be applied by the box manufacturer as the trade may demand. The insertion of tickets is so simple and so positive that it will encourage keeping the requisite number and sort of tickets in place for any given box of hats. The number of tickets on a given box will of itself show the number of hats in that box; no additional indicia need remain on the box such for example as would remain where pencilled numbers have been merely crossed out.

Moreover, as tickets are removed from the box they may be placed either with the corresponding hat that is removed or may be kept for subsequent use on a box.

While in accordance with the patent statutes this invention has been illustrated. in its breadth.

and principles by reference toexamples that are preferred at present, it will now be apparent to those skilled in the art that other modifications and specific applications of this invention may be made within the scope of. the appended claim.

What I claim is Means for indicating the contents of a hat box, comprising in association with the box, a flat strip horizontally disposed and attached by its. ends only to. th side wall of the box, and a. plurality of tickets each formed with a medial tongue bearing indicia, said tickets so proportioned with. respect to. the strip that a plurality of same may be inserted. side by side between the strip and box wall and in frictional contact with both strip and wall with their indicia bearing tongues engaging the outer face of the strip.

' HARRY ROLNICK. 

